2020 Local Bills and Bonds Requests - Legislative Summary
The following Howard County local bills were passed and enacted this session:
HB1454 (Ho. Co. 26-20) Howard County - Transfer Tax - Rate Increase Authorization
HB1510 (Ho. Co. 20-20) Income Tax - Subtraction Modification - Rental Subsidy Under the Howard County "Live Where You Work" Program
In addition, bond initiative requests for local projects were funded as follows (SB191)
Howard County Community Ecology Center, Ho. Co. 3-20, $100,000
Howard County Historic Carriage House Renovation, Ho. Co. 7-20, $350,000
Howard County Veterans Monument, Ho. Co. 10-20, $350,000
Howard County Winter Growth Generator, Ho. Co. 21-20, $50,000
Howard County Ellicott City Sidewalks and Streetscapes, Ho. Co. 27-20, $250,000
Howard County Dairy Shrine, Ho. Co. 31-20, $200,000
Howard County Living in Recovery Expansion, Ho. Co. 33-20, $75,000
Howard County Residential Sprinkler System, Ho. Co. 34-20, $25,000
Howard County Long Reach Head Start Center, Ho. Co. 35-20, $150,000
Howard County Maryland University of Integrative Health, Ho. Co. 36-20, $350,000
Howard County Long Reach Village Center Revitalization, Ho. Co. 40-20, $100,000
The Capital Budget Bill (SB191) contains each of the approved bonds and other capital grants and a list of Delegation bond requests and awards is also available on the 2020 Bond Initiatives Funding.
Proposed local bills for the 2020 Regular Session of the Maryland General Assembly
Short descriptions of the bond initiative requests and local bills proposed for the 2020 legislative session appear below. Details on legislative bond initiatives and text of bills can be found by clicking their titles. This page will be updated as needed and documents added as they become available.
Bond Initiative Requests
Howard County Community Ecology Center, Ho. Co. 3-20 PASSED BY THE DELEGATION (1/15/20) MGA Authorized $100,000
By: Howard County Delegation
Howard County Historic Carriage House Renovation, Ho. Co. 7-20 PASSED BY THE DELEGATION (1/15/20) MGA Authorized $350,000
By: Howard County Delegation
Howard County 2nd Ellicott Quaker Schoolhouse, Ho. Co. 8-20 PASSED BY THE DELEGATION (1/15/20)
By: Howard County Delegation
Howard County Veterans Monument, Ho. Co. 10-20 PASSED BY THE DELEGATION (1/15/20) MGA Authorized $350,000
By: Howard County Delegation
Howard County The Arc of Howard County Roof Restoration, Ho. Co. 14-20 PASSED BY THE DELEGATION (1/15/20)
By: Howard County Delegation
Howard County Winter Growth Generator, Ho. Co. 21-20 PASSED BY THE DELEGATION (1/15/20) MGA Authorized $50,000
By: Howard County Delegation
Howard County Ellicott City Sidewalks and Streetscapes, Ho. Co. 27-20 PASSED BY THE DELEGATION (1/15/20) MGA Authorized $250,000
By: Howard County Delegation
Howard County Butterfly Building Design, Ho. Co. 28-20 PASSED BY THE DELEGATION (2/12/20)
By: Howard County Delegation
Howard County Dairy Shrine, Ho. Co. 31-20 PASSED BY THE DELEGATION (1/15/20) MGA Authorized $200,000
By: Howard County Delegation
Howard County Living in Recovery Expansion, Ho. Co. 33-20 PASSED BY THE DELEGATION (1/15/20) MGA Authorized $75,000
By: Howard County Delegation
Howard County Residential Sprinkler System, Ho. Co. 34-20 PASSED BY THE DELEGATION (1/15/20) MGA Authorized $25,000
By: Howard County Delegation
Howard County Long Reach Head Start Center, Ho. Co. 35-20 PASSED BY THE DELEGATION (1/15/20) MGA Authorized $150,000
By: Howard County Delegation
Howard County Maryland University of Integrative Health, Ho. Co. 36-20 PASSED BY THE DELEGATION (1/15/20) MGA Authorized $350,000
By: Howard County Delegation
Howard County Enhancing Developmental Disability Services by Remodeling Gerwig, Ho. Co. 37-20 PASSED BY THE DELEGATION (1/15/20)
By: Howard County Delegation
Howard County Historic Barnard Fort House Restoration, Ho. Co. 39-20 PASSED BY THE DELEGATION (1/15/20) PASSED BY THE DELEGATION (1/15/20)
By: Howard County Delegation
Howard County Long Reach Village Center Revitalization, Ho. Co. 40-20 PASSED BY THE DELEGATION (1/15/20) MGA Authorized $100,000
By: Howard County Delegation
*STRAW VOTE – bonds passed by straw vote have been voted on by the Delegation but have not yet been heard at a public hearing. Therefore, the votes remain unofficial until the bonds have been heard at the hearing, at which point they will become official or be withdrawn.
Proposed Local Bills for the 2020 Regular Session of the Maryland General Assembly
Howard County – Board of Education – Redetermination of Geographic Attendance Areas, Ho. Co. 1-20 PASSED BY THE DELEGATION AS AMENDED (2/5/20) HB1511
By: Senator Lam
FOR the purpose of requiring the Howard County Board of Education to annually calculate the program capacity of certain schools on or before a certain date; requiring the county board, if the student enrollment at the school is less than or greater than a certain percentage of utilization of the program capacity for that type of school, to either redetermine the geographic attendance area of a school on or before a certain date or to submit a certain report to the General Assembly and the Howard County Delegation to the General Assembly on or before a certain date; defining certain terms; and generally relating to the redetermination of geographic attendance areas of permanent school facilities in Howard County.
Howard County – Residential Property and New Home Construction Advertisements – School District Information, Ho. Co. 2-20 PASSED BY THE DELEGATION AS AMENDED (1/29/20) HB826
By: Delegate Ebersole
FOR the purpose of providing for the purpose of certain provisions of law; prohibiting a certain real estate broker, associate real estate broker, or real estate salesperson from including the name of a certain school district in an advertisement for the sale or rental of certain residential property in Howard County; providing that certain provisions of law do not prohibit a certain real estate broker, associate real estate broker, or real estate salesperson from including the name of a certain school district in a certain written communication; requiring the State Real Estate Commission to enforce certain provisions of law; prohibiting a registered home builder or a registered home builder sales representative from including the name of a certain school district in a certain advertisement for the construction of a new home in Howard County; providing that certain provisions of law do not prohibit including the name of a certain school district in a certain written communication; requiring the Home Builder and Home Builder Sales Representative Registration Unit to enforce certain provisions of law; defining a certain term; and generally relating to school district information in advertisements for residential property and new homes in Howard County.
Howard County – School District Boundary Changes and Sales of Residential Real Property - Notices, Ho. Co. 4-20 PASSED BY THE DELEGATION AS AMENDED (1/22/20) HB1521
By: Senator Lam
FOR the purpose of requiring a contract for the sale of single family residential real property in Howard County to contain a certain notice concerning school district boundary changes; authorizing a purchaser to rescind a certain contract within a certain period of time after receipt of a certain notice; entitling a purchaser to the return of certain deposits under certain circumstances; providing for the application of certain provisions of this Act; and generally relating to notices of school district boundary changes in Howard County.
Howard County – Board of Education Budget - Equity Category, Ho. Co. 5-20 (WITHDRAWN)
By: Senator Guzzone, Delegate Feldmark, Delegate Terrasa (Legislation still in Bill Drafting.)
Howard County – Board of Education – Reporting on Demographics and Reduction of Academic Disparities, Ho. Co. 6-20 DID NOT PASS DELEGATION (2/5/20)
By: Delegate Hill
FOR the purpose of requiring the Howard County Board of Education, on or before a certain date each year, to submit a report to the Howard County Delegation to the General Assembly detailing certain demographic information on the students in each public school in the county; requiring the report, beginning with a report submitted on or before a certain date and every 2 years thereafter, to include recommendations on how the Howard County Delegation and the General Assembly could assist the county board in certain efforts to reduce academic disparities in public schools in the county and a description of certain actions taken and plans to reduce academic disparities in public schools in the county; and generally relating to reporting by the Howard County Board of Education.
Howard County – Moderate Income Housing Unit Requirements – Prohibition Against Fee-in-Lieu, Ho. Co. 11-20
By: Delegate Atterbeary and Delegate Terrasa
FOR the purpose of prohibiting Howard County from authorizing payment of a fee–in–lieu of a requirement under local law that a developer provide moderate income housing units in a new residential development project under certain circumstances; and generally relating to moderate income housing unit requirements in Howard County.
Howard County – Public School Program Capacity – School Board and Planning Commission, Ho. Co. 13-20
By: Delegate Atterbeary
FOR the purpose of requiring the Howard County Board of Education, beginning in a certain school year, to annually calculate the program capacity of each public primary and secondary school in the county and to prohibit a public primary or secondary school in the county from enrolling a number of students that is greater than a certain percentage of the school’s program capacity; authorizing the county planning commission in Howard County to reject a certain real estate project if a certain school in a certain area is projected to have student enrollment greater than a certain percentage of the school’s program capacity after the project is complete; defining a certain term; and generally relating to public school program capacity in Howard County.
Howard County – Ethics – Limit on Developer Contributions, Ho. Co. 15-20
By: Delegate Miller
FOR the purpose of repealing existing provisions of law related to developer contributions in Howard County; prohibiting an applicant or applicant’s agent from making a payment to a member of the Howard County Council, the Howard County Executive, or a slate that includes a member of the County Council or the County Executive during the pendency of a certain application; prohibiting a member of the Howard County Council from voting or participating in a proceeding on a certain application if certain payments were received during a certain period; requiring an applicant to file an affidavit disclosing certain information related to payments involving a member of the County Council; requiring an agent of an applicant to file an affidavit under certain circumstances; repealing certain definitions; and generally relating to public ethics and Howard County.
Howard County - Alcoholic Beverages - Minimum Food Sales Requirement, Ho. Co. 18-20
By: Senator Lam
FOR the purpose of exempting, in Howard County, certain license holders from a certain minimum food sales requirement; making a stylistic change; and generally relating to alcoholic beverages in Howard County.
Howard County – Commercial Building Excise Tax - Board of Education Ho.Co. 19-20
By: Delegate Atterbeary
FOR the purpose of authorizing the County Council of Howard County to impose a certain excise tax; requiring the County Council of Howard County to specify the types of buildings subject to a certain excise tax; authorizing the County Council of Howard County to impose different tax rates on certain construction; requiring the excise tax to be deposited into a certain fund to be used only for a certain purpose; requiring the Howard County Board of Education to submit a certain report on or before a certain date to the County Council of Howard County, the Howard County Executive, and members of the Howard County Delegation to the General Assembly; requiring the County Council of Howard County and the Howard County Executive to submit a certain report on or before a certain date to the Howard County Delegation to the General Assembly addressing certain recommendations made by the Howard County Board of Education; providing for the termination of certain provisions of this Act; and generally relating to deferred maintenance in the Howard County Public School System.
Income Tax - Subtraction Modification - Rental Subsidy Under the Howard County "Live Where You Work Program", Ho. Co. 20-20 PASSED BY THE DELEGATION (1/22/20) HB1510 PASSED BY THE MGA (3/25)
By: Senator Lam
FOR the purpose of allowing a subtraction modification under the Maryland income tax for the value of a subsidy for rental expenses received by a resident of Howard County under a certain program of the Downtown Columbia Plan; providing for the application of this Act; and generally relating to a subtraction under the Maryland income tax for the value of certain rental subsidies.
Howard County – Public Campaign Financing – Board of Education, Ho. Co. 22-20
By: Senator Lam
FOR the purpose of authorizing the governing body of Howard County to establish, by law, a system of public campaign financing for elected members of the county board of education; making conforming changes; making a technical correction; and generally relating to public campaign financing in Howard County.
Howard County – Public Schools – Reporting of School Data, Ho. Co. 23-20 DID NOT PASS DELEGATION (2/5/20)
By: Delegate Feldmark
FOR the purpose of requiring each public school in Howard County, on or before a certain date each year, to submit a certain report to the Howard County Board of Education that contains certain student and teacher data; requiring each elementary school and each high school in the county to provide certain additional data; requiring a certain report to present certain data in a certain manner; requiring the county board, on or before a certain date each year, to submit a certain report to the State Board of Education, the Howard County Executive, the Howard County Council, and the Howard County Delegation to the General Assembly; and generally relating to reporting student and teacher data from public schools in Howard County.
Howard County – Transfer Tax – Rate Increase Authorization, Ho. Co. 26-20 PASSED BY THE DELEGATION AS AMENDED (2/5/20) HB1454 PASSED BY THE MGA (3/25)
By: Delegate Feldmark
FOR the purpose of authorizing the County Council of Howard County to increase the rate of the transfer tax to support certain public purposes; requiring the Director of Finance of Howard County to collect and distribute in certain amounts transfer tax proceeds attributable to an increase in the tax rate to certain special funds and to the county general fund to be used for certain purposes; making stylistic and technical changes; and generally relating to the transfer tax in Howard County.
Howard County Alcoholic Beverages - Prohibited Acts Waiver, Ho. Co. 30-20 (WILL NOT BE DISCUSSED AT 11/19 HEARING)
By: Senator Lam (Legislation still in Bill Drafting.)
Howard County - Alcoholic Beverages - Alcoholic Beverages Inspectors, Ho. Co. 32-20 PASSED BY THE DELEGATION (1/22/20) HB1509
By: Senator Lam
FOR the purpose of authorizing an alcoholic beverages inspector to issue a citation in Howard County; requiring an inspector to complete a training program in the use of arrest authority and pertinent police procedures; prohibiting an inspector from carrying a firearm in the performance of the inspector’s duties; requiring the Howard County Police Department to employ certain inspectors; requiring the Chief of the County Police Department to have certain authority over the hiring of inspectors; and generally relating to alcoholic beverages in Howard County.
By: Senator Guzzone
FOR the purpose of altering the quota system for Class A licenses in Howard County so as to limit the issuance of the licenses to not more than one for a certain number of residents in each election district, rather than in the county; and generally relating to Class A alcoholic beverages licenses in Howard County.
Howard County Board of Education – School Redistricting Plan – Testimony, Ho. Co. 41-20
By: Senator Lam
FOR the purpose of requiring, during a school redistricting process in which the redistricting plan proposed by the Howard County Board of Education differs from the redistricting plan proposed by the Howard County Superintendent of Schools, that the Board allow a household whose school assignment is changed only in the Board’s plan to provide public testimony before the final vote on either school redistricting plan; and generally relating to the Howard County Board of Education and school redistricting.